School of Business

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Cultivating Transformational Leaders for Sustainable Business

Woodbury’s MBA program is about three things: Engaged Sustainability, Authentic Leadership, and Self-Empowerment. It is designed to prepare students for the next stage of their career and set them apart as leaders who think differently about business. Whether you are looking to transition into a new industry, start your own business or further your career in your current field, an MBA from Woodbury gives you a competitive edge.

Fill out the form below, and we'll be in touch very soon!

*By clicking Submit Request, you agree that the information provided on this form is accurate and complete, and you agree to receive email communication and phone calls from Woodbury University, at the numbers provided above, including your wireless number if provided.

business-students-1024x683

Create Your Future

Woodbury University’s practice-based MBA program is designed to prepare you for the next stage of your career and set you apart as a leader who thinks differently about business. It fits into the busy professional life while providing the quality you’re looking for in an advanced degree. Consider the ways it can give you a competitive edge as you seek to influence the world through business:

A focus on engaged sustainability will help you harness what is good for you, good for society, and good for the planet.

A focus on entrepreneurship provides the tools and confidence necessary to turn vision into reality.

An emphasis on ethics helps graduates achieve a level of success that creates a better world for them and those around them.

Woodbury’s mix of talented MBA students provides a unique study team model which prepares students to engage in and listen to a broad spectrum of ideas and perspectives.

For students who have a bachelor’s degree in a subject area other than business, Woodbury offers a series of preparatory courses to build foundational skills. Those students can undertake the core course work within the MBA degree program and finish in approximately 1½ years.

facilities photo template

MBA Program Features

Woodbury’s intensive degree format allows students to complete their MBA degree while balancing the demands of their personal and professional life. The 36-credit program contains 12 integrated courses that can be completed in as little as one year.

MBA program features include:

Intensive Format

Courses are offered in 7-week sessions with two sessions per semester, allowing students to take as many as four courses per semester.

Evening and Weekend classes are offered

Classes meet from 6pm – 10pm one weeknight evening each week

Classes meet on either Saturday or Sunday from 8am – 12pm or from 1pm– 5pm

Hybrid Courses are offered

Select courses may be offered in hybrid format, with some online sessions and some physical meetings, to reduce commuting stress while enhancing the learning experience.

Alumni Spotlight

Jorge Mendez

In 2007 Jorge Mendez arrived in the U.S. from Villa Juarez, Mexico. He spoke no English, had no job and no money to speak of. His parents remained in Mexico while he spent much of his adolescence looking out for himself. Eleven years later, Jorge was standing at the podium, receiving his MBA, and delivering a commencement address to his fellow graduates.

“Woodbury University’s MBA program provided me the rare opportunity of harnessing sustainability in a holistic manner. Sustainability has now become a life-style for me. My research project on renewable clean energy contributed directly to my professional growth.
”

—
Ruben Rodriguez, Associate Resource Scheduler, Gas

“The Woodbury MBA program offers a diverse community of colleagues and faculty, in an environment where concepts taught are immediately applicable in the workplace. Truly transformational, both personally and professionally.
”

“I was challenged to grow as a leader through thought provoking classes that enabled me to look at the business environment with a new perspective. ”

—
Susan Kivila, Alumna

“I inherited knowledge, self-realization and a greater willingness to change the world through the teachings of professors and its meticulously tailored curriculum. ”

—
Maria Cozette, Alumna

Sustainability Matters

Woodbury’s MBA program takes sustainability to the next level by not just tracking the carbon footprint of business, but by tracking its total footprint. Woodbury takes a holistic approach and tracks business through the triple-lens of economy, equality and ecology. For Woodbury, there is no sustainability devoid of ethics and spirituality. We only have one planet to live on. Let’s cultivate it together.

For School of Business associate dean, Satinder Dhiman, rethinking the MBA degree to incorporate sustainability isn’t a theoretical exercise.

Courses

Woodbury’s Masters of Business Administration curriculum is comprised of a sound foundation of functional skills in the areas of accounting, finance, economics, marketing and IT. This knowledge base is further enhanced by a heavy dose of organizational behavior skills, including emotional intelligence, ethical leadership and strategy.

In addition, the MBA capstone provides a simulation of what it takes to run a multi-million-dollar company, focusing on finance, the cause and effect relationships between functional areas, satisfying customer demands, competitive analysis, leadership, management development and team process skills.

Pre-MBA courses are intended to ensure that all graduate students have a similar academic background. They need to be completed by students who do not have sufficient business courses or the equivalent. These courses are in addition to the 36 units listed above (a total of up to 45 units)

WMBA 500 Financial AccountingAn accelerated course in financial accounting with emphasis on the fundamentals of accounting and the preparation, analysis, and interpretation of financial statements. Students will develop the skills needed in understanding and analyzing of corporate financial statements for decision-making by prospective consumers of accounting information, such as managers, stockholders, creditors, financial analysts, and regulators. Students will also develop the skills needed to interpret how accounting standards and managerial incentives affect the financial reporting process. Prerequisites: PMBA 501 or Graduate Standing.

WMBA 503 Quantitative Methods for Business DecisionsThis course is an introduction to quantitative methods used in solving problems in accounting, economics, finance, management and marketing. Includes the fundamentals of business mathematics, operations research modeling and statistical analysis. Lecture. Prerequisites: PMBA 502 and PMBA 505 or their equivalents, and graduate standing.

WMBA 504 Managerial EconomicsThis course focuses on basic economic theory with applications to business and policy issues. Special attention to the major concepts and methods of analysis applied to aggregate micro- and macroeconomic activity is given. Lecture. Prerequisite: PMBA 502 or its equivalent and graduate standing.

WMBA 505 Managing and LeadingThis course deals with an in-depth examination of behavioral issues in organizations. Course topics include individual and group behavior, communication issues, ethical theories, employee empowerment and motivation, and managing and leading organizations under conditions of uncertainty. The course requires students to apply advanced knowledge of management and leadership skills in the pursuit of creating effective organizations through teamwork. The central objective of this course is to learn how to create socially sensitive, high performing organizations: organizations that are financially viable and ethically responsible. Working as a team member, every student will complete one social action project in this course. Lecture. Prequisite: PMBA 506 or its equivalent and graduate standing.

WMBA 506 Marketing Concepts and StrategiesThis course will equip students with the relevant knowledge, perspectives, and practical skills required to develop marketing strategies that leverage the opportunities inherent in today’s global, digital marketplace including: international marketing, social media, consumer-to-consumer online interactions, internet marketing, mobile marketing, and big data. The elements of the marketing mix and the promotional mix are reviewed with an emphasis on the development of sound strategic planning, implementation and control. Case studies will be used to simulate management decision-making processes in the marketing arena. Lecture. Prerequisite: PMBA 504 or its equivalent and graduate standing.

WMBA 507 Managerial Finance, Theory and PracticeThis course explores the principles of finance and their application to typical financial problems of business enterprises. Emphasis is placed on the methods used by business managers to make investment, dividend and financing decisions. Lecture. Prerequisite: PMBA 501 and PMBA 502 or their equivalents and graduate standing

WMBA 558 EntrepreneurshipThis is a course requiring the integration of management functions for a new business venture. Students must devise a feasibility study and an organizational structure. Consideration is given to legal and tax issues; marketing strategy; financing needs and sources; cash flow forecasts; and pro forma financial statements. A team approach will be utilized, with members preparing and presenting written and oral reports. Lecture. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of CPC requirements and graduate standing.

WMBA 582 Strategic Management ConsultingThis course is a capstone seminar in strategic management incorporating organization/consulting and design thinking elements. It examines the roles and responsibilities of top managers in developing, implementing, and managing an effective organization-wide strategy. Students learn current, new and future perspectives and concepts as well as integrate learning from previous course work to solve complex and challenging business problems. Specifically, this course provides the students with an overview of the “world” of strategic consulting and consulting as a career. Students will develop the basic conceptual and skill-based understanding required to practice consulting or hire and work with an outside consultant. A case study method is used to develop an integrative enterprise perspective. Being the capstone course, it must be taken within 6 units of graduation and after the completion of all PMBA course requirements.

WMBA 501: Managerial AccountingThis course studies managers’ effective use of accounting information in decision-making. Includes cost-volume-profit relationships; the use of standard cost and flexible budget systems; cost reports; managerial control and performance evaluation. Lecture. Prerequisite: PMBA 501, or its equivalent, and graduate standing.

WMBA 511 International FinanceThe international financing and investment decisions of multinational business organizations and the international financial environment. Theories and techniques of international investment and financing are viewed within the context of different currencies; shifting exchange rates, different tax, legal and political environments. Lecture. Prerequisite: FI 507 or WMBA 507, or its equivalent, and Graduate standing.

WMBA 512 Corporate FinanceAn intensive course in corporate finance. Emphasis on the development of objectives and standards that lead to the effective allocation and use of a business entity’s resources. Topics covered include financial statement analysis, cash budgeting, working capital management, capital budgeting, capital structure and asset valuation. Examination of the interaction of investment and financing decisions and dividend policy. Lecture. Prerequisite: FI 507 or WMBA 507, or its equivalent, and Graduate standing.

WMBA 514 Investment AnalysisThe analytical methods and theory underlying the appraisal of stocks, bonds and other investment assets. Special attention to techniques of securities analysis and valuation based on financial statements, earnings projections and the value of capital of the firm. General theories of portfolio composition and performance. Lecture. Prerequisite: FI 507 or WMBA 507, or its equivalent, and Graduate standing.

WMBA 515 Money and Capital MarketsAn analysis of the markets for financial assets, including the money market and various bond and stock markets. Topics include the level and structure of interest rates, the regulatory structure of financial markets, and the role of the Federal Reserve Board and financial institutions in determining and implementing monetary policy. Lecture. Prerequisite: FI 507 or WMBA 507, or its equivalent, and Graduate standing.

WMBA 531: Governmental and NonProfit AccountingThis course is designed to provide an understanding of the accounting concepts and procedures used in the operation of nonprofit entities (governments, hospitals, universities and others). Lecture. Prerequisite: PMBA 501, or its equivalent, and graduate standing.

WMBA 548: Tax Theory and ApplicationThis course provides an analysis of the laws of taxation at the federal level, relative to corporations and their shareholders, capital assets, natural resources, real estate, and other topics of timely interest. Lecture. Prerequisite: PMBA 501, or its equivalent, and graduate standing.

WMBA 510: Management of Global EnterpriseThis course provides an exploration of the international business management issues providing a broad, multi- disciplinary awareness of global business management trends and practices, especially the impact of culture on business. Topics include global economic institutions, cross-cultural management, international managerial negotiations, and business management practices in the emerging global markets. Prerequisite: PMBA 504 or its equivalent and graduate standing.

WMBA 513: Management CommunicationsThis course focuses on business communication as a primary tool available to management for accomplishing organizational objectives. The principles of effective listening, writing and speaking in the business environment are stressed. Managerial and organizational theories are compared with communication principles. Lecture. Prerequisite: graduate standing.

WMBA 518: International MarketingThis course examines the development of international marketing programs from determining objectives and evaluating international market opportunities to coordinating strategies in the world market. Lecture. Prerequisite: WMBA 506 or its equivalent and graduate standing.

WMBA 541: Comparative International ManagementThis course provides a comparative study of management practices in selected foreign countries. Students will analyze social and cultural variables that affect the management process and solutions to managerial issues of policy and action. Lecture. Prerequisite: WMBA 505 or its equivalent and graduate standing.

WMBA 555: Human Resources ManagementThis course provides an introduction to the major functions and issues which exist in effective identification, hiring and upgrading personnel in organizations. Emphasis is placed on the major functions of human manpower planning, recruitment, selection, appraisal, training and development, wage and salary administration, career development and counseling. Lecture. Prerequisite: WMBA 505 or its equivalent and graduate standing.

WMBA 560: Ethical LeadershipThis multi-disciplinary leadership survey course explores the ethical dimension of leadership by tapping into the collective wisdom found in disparate fields such as literature, philosophy, history, biography, politics, arts, sports, and business and applies it to the leadership challenges and dilemmas faced by modern organizations. The basic premise of this course stems from our belief that fundamental challenges of leadership are of universal nature and that the insights culled from disciplines such as literature, humanities, arts and history can provide us with a matchless treasure trove for understanding the elusive art and practice of leadership. Prerequisite: WMBA 505 and graduate standing.

WMBA 565: Emotional Intelligence at WorkThis is a survey course that introduces students to the key emotional intelligence issues related to organizational performance, such as role of emotions in decision making and thinking strategically about information contained in emotions. We will examine and evaluate existing scientific views on EI and its measuring options. Learning objectives include assimilating emotional intelligence theory components; self-assessing to recognize areas for professional and organizational growth; reporting on the use and validity of emotional intelligence as a means for enhancing professional and organizational success; and gaining skills to apply emotional intelligence strategies to daily workplace situations, relationships, and challenges. These skills can be applied in leadership positions pursued by graduate students. While the emotional intelligence development focus of this course is the use of skills in a student’s place of employment, students are encouraged to apply these skills in addressing all aspects of their lives – at home, in the community, and in the classroom. As a result of this course, students will have enhanced skill set through which they can perform professional duties at work and in life. Prerequisites: WMBA 505, Management and Organizational Behavior.

WMBA 566: Change ManagementContemporary organizations exist in social, political, and economic environments that change rapidly and unpredictably. This course deals with how to manage changes by looking at strategy, organization design and processes, and multi-organizational systems. Theories and practice of change management related to the individual, group, inter-group, and organizational level are discussed. Methods of diagnosing organizations and designing interventions that will increase an organization’s effectiveness are explored. The course examines the complexity in developing a culture of change within the organization as well as in determining the organizations’ readiness for change. Through a series of experiential lessons, case studies, and activities students will uncover the reasons for resistance to change and tactics for coping with this resistance and for strategically managing organizational change. Prerequisite: WMBA 505, Management and Organizational Behavior.

WMBA 570: Topics in ManagementTopics focus on current issues in management. Lecture. Prerequisite: PMBA 505, or its equivalent, and graduate standing.

Accreditations

AACSB International: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of BusinessACBSP: Association of Collegiate Business Schools and ProgramsWSCUC: Senior College and University Commission (formerly WASC)